I am pleased to see Senator Marklein and Representative VanderMeer proposing legislation allowing sales of electricity for car charging by the kilowatt-hour by non-utilities.

However; the proposed law has two problems.

First, limiting the source of charging electricity to utilities discourages innovation and enterprise. In Florida entire subdivisions are being built utilizing solar electricity and batteries, not electrical utilities. Law should not predetermine what Wisconsin's evolving technology and innovative entrepreneurs can or cannot do to serve the public. I can imagine the Wisconsin company Generac, for instance, considering designing an independent solar charging station, if it were legal.

Secondly, prohibiting local governments from services that municipality may need to promote business access and citizen convenience is short sighted. Local governments have decades of experience with parking facilities and parking meters and municipal charging stations may be exactly what is need. Limiting local governments is an unnecessary part of this state legislation.

Legislation that shows distrust of local governments and lack of insight into our evolving technologies and enterprises needs to be amended to allow for local needs and to encourage entrepreneurial innovation. Legislators must amend this proposed bill and pass it so Wisconsin can benefit from federal charging station funds.

Bill Dagnon,
Baraboo